Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 48

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II > Part 48

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Walter L. Trueblood was born at Salem, Washington county, Indiana, on the 8th of March, 1860, acquiring his early education in the public schools. After completing his education in the high school he took a commercial course in a business college at Danville, Indiana, following which he taught for two years in Washington county. He subsequently engaged in agricultural pursuits for a time but deciding that he preferred a commercial career he obtained a position with the Geiser Manufacturing Company of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and for seven years was their traveling representative in the states of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, during which time he was very successful in the sale of heavy farm- ing machinery. In 1897 he was given the management of the branch house of the Frick Company of Waynesboro in Chicago, continuing to be identified with that company until 1904, at which time he resigned his position to accept a similar

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one with the M. Rumely Company of La Porte, Indiana, taking charge of their Des Moines branch. Mr. Trueblood has been unusually successful since locat- ing here and has established an excellent business for the company and one which is constantly increasing. Although he handles a very superior quality of farm- ing implements much of his success must be attributed to his business methods and personality, as he possesses not only the faculty of winning patrons but of holding them, which is one of the most valuable assets of the business man.

On the 22d of March, 1899, Mr. Trueblood was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Austerman at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a daughter of Albert and Sarah Austerman, he a native of Germany and she of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Trueblood's parents were married in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, following which they removed to Darke county, Ohio, where the father was a well known and prosperous farmer. Mr. Trueblood affiliates with the Friends church and the Commercial Club of Des Moines. He is also a member of the United Commercial Travelers and the Iowa State Travelingmen's Association. He delights in hunting and fish- ing and all outdoor sports, particularly base ball, and devotes as much time as he can spare from his business to such recreations during the summer. His po- litical support he always accords the republican party, his views being in conso- nance with those of the progressive faction of that body.

FRED A. COPE.

From the period of his student days in Des Moines down to the present Fred A. Cope has enjoyed an enviable reputation for progressive citizenship and for reliability in business and official connections. He is now filling the office of justice of the peace in Des Moines township. He was born in Brook- lyn, Iowa, October 1, 1867. His father, Benjamin Cope, a well known rep- resentative of agricultural. interests in Franklin township, this county, is of English lineage, his ancestry in America being traced back to 1700, when rep- resentatives of the name settled in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Later a removal was made to Morgan and afterward to Harrison county, Ohio, and in the latter county Benjamin Cope was born. Subsequently the family came to Muscatine county, Iowa, and thus for many years Benjamin Cope has been identified with the agricultural interests and development of the state. In 1871 he came to Polk county, settling first at Mitchellville and since 1880 has followed farming in Franklin township. He married Priscilla G. Moore, a native of Ohio and also of English extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Cope became the parents of four children : Ulysses Grant; Fred A .; William Henry ; and Sarah Ellen, the wife of P. M. Whittaker, a resident of Minnesota.

Fred A. Cope was educated in the public schools and the seminary of Mitchellville, Iowa, pursuing his course there to the age of twenty, when, in 1887, he entered Drake University. He devoted two years to a literary course and in the law class of 1899 was graduated with the LL. B. degree. He also pursued a business course in the Iowa Business College and the degree of Bachelor of Accounts has been conferred upon him. After leaving Drake he was nominated and elected county auditor of Polk county in the fall of 1900 and filled the office for four years, having been reelected upon the expiration of his first term. He retired from the position as he had entered it-with the confidence and good will of all concerned-and after an interval of two years was again elected to office in 1906, being chosen justice of the peace of the city of Des Moines for Des Moines township. He is now presiding over the justice court and is making a creditable record because of the fairness and impartiality of his decisions, as well as the promptness with which he dispatches the business of the court.

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On the 14th of November, 1900, Mr. Cope was united in marriage to Miss Grace E. Mackintosh, a daughter of Galloway R. Mackintosh, a native of Des Moines, whose family were early settlers of the city, residing here since the '60s. Mr. and Mrs. Cope have two children: Dorothy, born in Des Moines, Au- gust 7, 1901 ; and Marjorie A., born September 20, 1903. The family are mem- bers of the First Baptist church. Mr. Cope finds his greatest happiness at his own fireside, being a man of strongly domestic tastes. He is, however, a pop- ular member of different fraternal and social organizations. He belongs to the Drake Law Club, the Drake Lawyers Club, the Drake University Club, the Waveland Golf Club and the Grant Club. He is also a member of U. S. Grant Camp, No. 108, M. W. A., and holds membership relations with Capital Lodge, No. IIO, A. F. & A. M., and Myrtle Capital Lodge, No. 9, K. P. In politics he has always been a supporter of the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and takes an active interest in both local and national politics. In fact, he is a well informed man, not only on political problems but also upon the general questions of the day, as indicated by his intelligent dis- cussion of the themes which are engrossing the attention of thinking men of the present.

M. E. WHITE.

It requires good business capacity to make a successful dealer in real estate and the boy who has been reared upon a farm is more liable to succeed than one reared in a city. The country boy early gains practical experience as to the quality and value of land and early impressions are more vivid and lasting. M. E. White, a well known real-estate man of Des Moines, possesses the advantage of farm training and from his earliest recollection he has been attracted to the soil.

He was born in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, August 14, 1871, a son of George and Lucy A. (King) White, the former of whom was born in New York state in 1847 and the latter in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1854. His grandmother's brother, whose name was Wright, participated in the Revolutionary war, and Richard and John King, two of the mother's brothers, enlisted at Kings, Illi- nois, and served faithfully in behalf of the Union throughout the Civil war. The town of Kings received its name in honor of the family. Unto Mr. and Mrs. White three children were born, namely: M. E., the subject of this re- view; Anna, now the wife of J. L. Taylor, of Minnesota; and Fannie, the wife of Ed E. Bottje.

M. E. White received his early education in the district schools and later attended the public schools of Ames, Iowa. His father being a farmer the son continued upon the home farm until early manhood, when he was attracted to the real-estate business is Boone county, continuing there with a goodly meas- ure of success for several years. In August, 1901, he organized the Polk County Land and Loan Company with headquarters at Crookston, Minnesota, and engaged quite extensivesly in the land and immigration business for four years. In 1905 he went to Kansas City and two years later to South Bend, Indiana, continuing in the same lines of business and gaining experience not only as to land values, but as to human nature, which has been of the greatest value to him. In September, 1909, he selected Des Moines as a favorable center and opened offices in the Observatory building, handling not only city property, but farm lands in various parts of the west. He is assisted by Mr. Reitzel and also by Messrs. Childs, Kelly, Moyer and Harper, all of whom are experts in a special department, the entire force being kept constantly employed by the

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steadily growing patronage, making this office one of the leading centers of the kind in Des Moines.

In March, 1893, Mr. White was united in marriage to Miss Cora B. John- son, of Story county, Iowa, a daughter of W. H. and Elizabeth (Sinclair) John- son. They have three children, namely: Glen, born October 31, 1894, and now a student in the high school; Hobart, born December 3, 1895; and George, born June 4, 1898.

Mr. White gives his support to the republican party, and although the claims of his private affairs have interfered with his political activity, yet as a lover of his country he has performed his duty at the polls, voting for the men and measures that in his opinion best subserve the permanent interests of - the state and nation. He is a member of the Christian church and also of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has had a wide experience in various locali- ties in a vocation that calls constantly for the exercise of sound judgment, and the large clientele now looking to him for advice as to investments is ample and convincing evidence as to the character and value of his services.

WILLIAM HENRY STILES.

At the age of nineteen William Henry Stiles, of Des Moines, received his introduction to the stern realities of life as a soldier in the Civil war, and ever since that time he has been an active and efficient champion of what seemed to him to be right and true. He is now one of the widely known lawyers of Iowa- a man whose opinions command respect because they are recognized as being the result of honest conviction. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, January 18, 1843, a son of William Melvine and Hannah Maria (Stuffer) Stiles. The father was a native of Vermont and the mother of Pennsylvania. He was a minister of the United Brethren church and came to Iowa in 1853, locating in Benton county where he preached until 1857. He was then removed from that charge, but continued active in the ministry until his death, which occurred at the age of ninety years. He was one of the best known and most beloved leaders of the denomination in the west.

William Henry Stiles came with his parents to Iowa in his boyhood and received his early education in the public schools, later becoming a student in Western College, Linn county, Iowa. In response to his country's need he enlisted in Company H, Twenty-second Iowa Infantry, and served in the army for three years, participating in many of the most important events of the war. He was present with his company at the siege of Vicksburg and marched into the city on the 4th of July, 1863, under General Grant, when that celebrated stronghold was surrendered to the Union forces. Later he went with his regi- ment to the Army of the Potomac and was present at the battle of Petersburg under General Butler, soon afterwards being transferred under General Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley. He participated in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, where Sheridan made his famous twenty-mile ride. Sub- sequently he was transferred to Savannah, Georgia, where he was placed on garrison duty after the post had been vacated by General Sherman. Later he performed similar duty at Augusta, Georgia. He was mustered out at Savannah in July, 1865, and honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, August 5, 1865. He then returned to his father's home in western Iowa and was transformed from a soldier to a school-teacher. After two years in the schoolroom he entered the general merchandise business at Glidden, Carroll county, in which he con- tinued until 1873.

He made his home at Jefferson, Greene county, during this time and studied law at night under the firm of Russell & Tolliver, of Jefferson, and was admitted

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to the bar in 1873. He immediately disposed of his store to Legore & Reese, of Jefferson, and took up his residence at Guthrie Center, Iowa, where he began the practice of law, remaining at that place for twenty-one years. During this time he served. for four years as justice of the peace, as mayor of the town for two years, and as county attorney for six years, from 1886 to 1892. In 1894 seeking a wider field of operations, he came to Des Moines, and has since prac- ticed his profession in this city. His reputation as a wise counselor and con- vincing speaker on law subjects had preceded him and he soon enjoyed a lucra- tive practice, becoming one of the leaders at the bar. Endowed at birth with rare intellectual force he developed his powers by years of study and observation and few men in the state stand higher in the legal profession or are more suc- cessful in the elucidation of the principles of the law.

In 1868 Mr. Stiles was married to Miss Maria M. Squires, a daughter of Richard and Margaret Squires, who came to Iowa from Illinois in 1852. Six children were born of this union, four of whom grew to maturity : Charles W., who died in October, 1906, at the age of twenty-eight years; Anna May, the wife of Harry Trevillyan, who is now living at Valley Junction and is general storekeeper for the Rock Island Railway System in Iowa; Hattie E., who is the wife of Dr. W. O. Smouse, of Des Moines; and Frank E., who is engaged in the real-estate business at Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. and Mrs. Stiles are sincere believers in the authority and inspiration of the Bible and are members of the Methodist church. He also holds member- ship in the Masonic order, being a Royal Arch Mason, and as a soldier of the Civil war his name is upon the rolls of Crocker Post, G. A. R. In politics he adheres to the republican party. He has won for himself a host of warm friends among business and professional men and is greatly admired for his marked ability in his profession, his affable manners and his pleasing social qualities. He made good use of his opportunities early in life, preparing him- self for many responsibilities, in the faithful discharge of which he has gained the confidence and high esteem of his fellowmen.

MATTHEW FRANCIS KINGMAN.

No record of the successful citizens of Des Moines would be complete without · adequate mention of Matthew Francis Kingman who for nearly twenty years has been closely identified with this city. He was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, November 24, 1858, a son of Matthew and Polly Ann (Cullom) Kingman. His father was born at Pelham, Massachusetts, January 29, 1815, and was a farmer. His mother is a sister of Senator Shelby M. Cullom, of Illinois. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kingman four died in infancy, the others being: Eliza. the widow of D. C. Ross, of Des Moines ; Shelby A., who died leaving a widow and one daughter, Maude, the wife of E. K. Eberhart, of Des Moines : Mary, now Mrs. Jesse J. Allee, of Newell, Iowa ; and Matthew Francis, the subject of this review.

After receiving his preliminary education in the common schools Matthew Francis Kingman entered the high school at Peoria, Illinois, from which he was graduated with the class of 1879. He began his business career in the employ of the Kingman Manufacturig Company, manufacturers of and dealers in agri- .. cultural implements of Peoria, Illinois, and later engaged in the lumber and grain business at Humeston, Iowa, in which he continued from 1880 to 1892. In 1892 he came to Des Moines and has since made his home in this city. He has pros- pered financially and has dealt largely in farms and city real estate, handling his own property. He is a member of the board of directors of the Iowa State Bank

M. F. KINGMAN

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and has shown excellent judgment in business affairs, easily holding a place as one of the substantial and progressive men of the city.

On the 28th of September, 1882, Mr. Kingman was united in marriage to Miss Lornetta Maxwell who was born at Millersburg, Ohio, in 1858, a daughter of Robert Maxwell, a well known farmer. Three children were born of this union, namely : Flora, now the wife of Dr. F. J. Glasser, of Des Moines ; Floyd Cullom, who is a graduate of the class of 1911 of the Iowa State College at Ames; and Matthew H., a student of the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia, one of the leading military schools of the country.

Mr. Kingman has given his children every desirable advantage of education, having observed in the course of his career the beneficial effect on the life of an individual of a thorough mental training. He is a man of broad and generous views who keeps thoroughly informed as to the progress of events in the world, especially the great strides made by America in the promotion of modern civiliza- tion. Politically he is a stanch supporter of the republican party, and in religious views he gives his adherence to the Presbyterian church. Socially he is a valued member of the Grant Club of Des Moines.

FRED McKOWEN.

One of the enterprising and progressive young business men of Des Moines is Fred McKowen, who in connection with his brother-in-law, J. G. Martin, con- ducts a general store at the corner of Ninth and Park avenue. Mr. McKowen was born in Whiteside county, Illinois, on the 12th of June, 1871, his parents being John R. and Sarah (Muckey) McKowen, the father a native of Canada and the mother of Pennsylvania. They migrated from Illinois to Iowa in 1872, settling upon a farm near Des Moines where the father, who had always followed agricultural pursuits, engaged in truck farming. Disposing of this place after operating it for ten years they removed to Elkhart, Iowa, and rented a farm upon which they lived for six years. At the end of that period they went to Colo, Iowa, where Mr. McKowen had been engaged in farming for about two years, when he died on the 15th of April, 1887. The mother survived him twenty-two years thereafter, her demise occurring in January, 1909.

The education of Fred McKowen was acquired in the district schools of Polk and Story counties, his boyhood and youth not differing in particular from those of other lads reared in the agricultural districts. The time not occupied by his lessons or in the school room was very largely spent in assisting his father in the work of the fields. At the age of nineteen he began working for himself by en- gaging in the dairy business with his brothers near Des Moines. He remained identified with them until 1896, at which time he disposed of his interests and went into the same business by himself. Success attended his efforts and for ten years more he engaged in the dairy business during all of which period he drove a wagon on a milk route. Mr. McKowen has the unusual record of having driven a wagon for thirteen of the sixteen years he was in business and not missing but two days. He withdrew in 1906 to go into partnership with his brother-in-law in a general store, which they have been conducting at the corner of Ninth and Park avenue for the past five years. They have a nice building, with a large and well selected stock tastefully displayed. This together with the personnel of their employes and the high principles which direct their every business transaction has been the means of building up the large and permanent patronage they enjoy.

On the 5th of August, 1896, Mr. McKowen was united in marriage to Miss Mary Martin, a daughter of John and Sarah (Parks) Martin, natives of England, who first located in Missouri upon their arrival in the United States, but two years later removed to Des Moines, where the father engaged in dairying for

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many years. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are now living retired on a truck farm near Sixth street and Park avenue. Four children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. McKowen: Harold, fourteen years of age; Elizabeth, eleven; John, who is eight years of age; and William, now six. The family affiliate with the Christian church, while fraternally Mr. McKowen is identified with the Modern Wood- men of America.

Although he has always been too busily occupied in the direction of his per- sonal interests to participate very actively in local political affairs, Mr. Mc- Kowen always gives his support to the candidates of the republican party. He has met with more than average success in his ventures, as, in addition to his interest in the business and the building where their store is located, he owns his residence and five acres of land at the corner of Sixth street and Park avenue.

PHILIP S. KELL.

Philip S. Kell, as manager and owner of the Spirit of the West, has given to the country one of the leading stock journals of America and has done much to stimulate and promote an interest in the breeding and raising of high grade stock, thus contributing directly to the material development and growth of those communities where stock-raising is the basic element of advancement. He was born October 22, 1851, at Ickesbury, Perry county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret (Hench) Kell. The father was a farmer who spent his entire life in the Keystone state, and both he and his wife were representatives of old Pennsylvania German families. In their family were two sons and three daughters, but only our subject and his brother, H. S. Kell, are now living, the latter being a resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Philip S. Kell came to Iowa when about eighteen or nineteen years of age, establishing his home in Cedar county, and there he supplemented his early education, acquired in the common schools of his native county, by study in the normal school. Turning his attention to the profession of teaching he was thus connected for several years with the country schools of Cedar county, and in 1871 came to Des Moines, where he engaged in newspaper work on the Daily Leader, a democratic journal which was issued both daily and weekly. He felt attracted to this field and hoped to make newspaper work his vocation thereafter. With this purpose in view he entered earnestly upon the task of familiarizing himself with every department of the business, both in its me- chanical interests and its business and financial management. He continued with that paper until 1886, when the Leader changed hands, Mr. Kell at that time occupying the position of manager. This paper was afterward consoli- dated with the Register and is now known as the Register-Leader.

In 1890 Mr. Kell began the publication of the Spirit of the West, a paper devoted to the breeding and interests of high class horses and the development and upbuilding of county and state fairs all over the country. He has worked in conjunction with the department of animal husbandry and the agricultural department of the Ames Agricultural College in the interest of government breeding farms in New England and Colorado. The paper which he publishes ably serves the purpose for which it is intended. It is filled with items of intense interest to stock breeders and is a splendid exponent, not only of the spirit of the west, but of the spirit of the age in this connection. It has also proved an excellent investment and now has a very wide circulation, extending throughout the entire country. It is one of only five papers of this class published in America. Many of Mr. Kell's views and theories have had practical demonstra- tion upon his own farm, for he is the owner of a valuable and splendidly

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equipped stock farm of three hundred and twenty acres about twelve miles west ot Des Moines.

In July, 1881, Mr. Kell was united in marriage to Miss Hattie Cormac, a daughter of James and Julia Cormac, of the state of New York. Her death occurred in March, 1896, and in June, 1899, Mr. Kell was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Ella Lattig, of Anita, Iowa, who by her former marriage had two daughters, Eva L. and Ada G. Lattig.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kell are members of St. John's Lutheran church and fraternally he is a Knight Templar Mason, exemplifying in his life the benefi- cent spirit of the craft. Politically Mr. Kell was born a democrat but has affiliated with the republican party since 1896, where national questions and issues were involved. In city affairs he does not consider partisan politics as in any way relating to the questions at issue. He therefore regards only the capability of the candidates for the offices which they seek. He is a stalwart champion of Des Moines and her interests and cooperates heartily in every measure for her development and welfare. He was a member of the first com- mittee of three hundred that undertook to encourage the Des Moines plan of city government. This committee, however, was found to be too large to work to advantage and was reduced to a committee of twenty-five, of which Mr. Kell was also made a member. He was one of the original members of the Good Government Club, which was organized to promote public interest and keep the people informed upon matters and questions relating to the general good. His labors have at all times been effective and far-reaching and his work has been of the utmost possible benefit where Des Moines' interests have been in- volved in projects that not only regard present welfare, but also look beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities and opportunities of the future. He has witnessed the growth of the Capital city from a town of five thousand inhabitants to a city of one hundred thousand, and at all times has taken an active part in its development and upbuilding. He was one of the original in- corporators of the first Commercial Exchange organized to aid the city, and was also a member of the first Real Estate Exchange organized twenty years ago. He has been a stockholder in several land companies and is now president of the North Highland Park Land Company.

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Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 48

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464